The mighty hobbit warden Cotte treaded softly over the dimly lit forest road. Her eyes were ever watchful of the thick brush that crowded the edges of the trail. This is a good place for an ambush, I must be careful or I'll end up dead. Cotte had no intention of dying this day, Praise the Light! She eased her spear inits holder and hefted her shield experimentally.

Should be right...about...NOW! Cotte spun around, spear in hand. She thrust randomly and felt the satisfactory jolt that meant she had connected with her target. Taking a moment only, she glanced at the black-bearded man that bent over the shaft of her spear. He weakly grasped the handle as if to pull it out of his stomach before collapsing to the ground.

Cotte wrenched her spear from his body, the dead or dying man already forgotten as a second Blackwold's sword scraped some of the guilt covering her shield. Cotte ducked and weaved as the crazed woman swung wildly, desperately trying to connect with her. Cotte smiled grimly. She's still trying to compensate for my size, and her movements are slow, clumsy. This girl really needs a lesson in how to wield her weapon! Cotte easily dodged another blow and swung the butt of her spear, tangling the legs of her attacker.

"AAH!" The surprise in the woman's shockingly musical voice was obvious, and she landed hard on her back. Not giving her a chance to recover, Cotte quickly jumped ontop of the large's body, spear arcing for her throat. The woman's eyes were wide with fright and bright with tears as she suddenly felt the point of Cotte's spear at her adam's apple. Cotte wondered why she hesitated to strike, to drive her spear through to victory and end a menace to the road. She studied the woman pinned beneath her. She doesn't appear to be very old, although it's so hard to tell with these large people. Cotte observed. Her thoughts were racing.

"What is your name, Blackwold." Cotte made sure to keep an edge of menance in her voice, to frighten the bandit-maid. The woman gulped and spoke quickly. "I-i-it's Maria, milady. Maria Welltree." The fear was so thick that Cotte could almost feel it in her voice.

"Very well, Maria. I'm going to spare you." Cotte said finally.

"Oh, thank you, milady! Thank you!" Relief filled Maria's voice. "Thank you!" The woman was clearly soft and ready. Cotte had set the hook, now it was time to reel in her fish.

"In exchange for your service, large. I won't spare you simply to have you run off and rob someone else." Cotte announced. Her eyes locked onto Maria's suddenly fearful ones. "Do you still wish to be spared?" she asked softly, her spear hovered steadily. Cotte held her breath, she didn't want to kill the girl, but she couldn't back out on her promise to end the threats on the road, either.

A wave of relief entered Cotte as Maria began nodding her head. "I promise to serve you, Milady! I'll be faithful and true! You'll see!" the girl's head bobbed like a duck, Cotte noticed with fascination. Coming to herself, she agreed to the girl's service.

"Very well." Cotte said calmly. She stepped off the other woman's stomach and glanced at the dead man stretched across the road. "You can begin by burying your companion. No need to leave him here for the dogs."

"Yes, mistress." Maria hastened to the corpse and grasped the body under the armpits. She quickly drug her burden across the road and disappeared into the brush. It would be a good time for her to go back to her camp or site and grab more weapons, Cotte knew, but she had faith. The girl was obviously eager to get out of the life she had found herself in. It must have been pretty bad if the girl is eager to take service over banditry. Cotte twirled her spear and tried to keep her unease contained. It would take an hour, she knew for the body to stiffen in death's grip. It would not take long for Maria to dig a shallow grave.

Indeed, it seemed only moments, although a half-hour had surely passed, before Maria was standing in front of her again, mud-stained with a battered pack in hand. Cotte spied the handle of a shovel tied onto the back. Ah, so they planned to kill me and then bury my body so no sign of their treachery remained. Cotte found the irony hilarious, and struggled to contain her laughter.

Turning back down the road, she gave a quick gesture and Maria fell into step behind her, already trying to brush out the snarls in her raven hair.

 Together the two started on their long journey through the darkening lands of Middle Earth. ALong the way, Cotte and Maria, although at first master and servant, grew to be friends. Eventually, the Lady Cotte would free her faithful companion, and together they would have many adventures.

-Legends of Cotte the Warden and Maria Welltree